In case you missed the story last week, Kevin Schwantz is preparing to race in this year’s Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race. For the race, Schwantz will be riding on a team formed by Yukio Kagayama, who in addition to having raced in the MotoGP, World Superbike, and British Superbike Championships, is also a previous Suzuka 8-Hour winner with the Suzuki Endurance Race Team (also joining the three-rider team Noriyuki “Nitro” Haga). Releasing a Q&A about his team’s Suzuka 8-Hour entry, Kagayama-san walks us through how the team came together, what equipment the riders will use, and his outlook on the team’s competitiveness.
A single-cylinder hooligan-maker, the KTM 690 Duke is 330 lbs (curbside without fuel) and 67hp of two-wheeled fun, and we hope that the Austrians bring the KTM 690 Duke R our way as well. While we are on the topic of things missing from KTM’s American line-up, a decent supersport is painfully obvious, yet we can’t see the folks at KTM following the paths of other brands. That’s where our friend Luca Bar comes to mind with his latest concept: the KTM RC4. Using the KTM 690 Duke platform and its LC4 engine, Bar has designed a super-single full-fairing sport bike that takes the Austrian company’s “Ready to Race” DNA and applies it to an idea that is not all that disimilar to the Ducati Supermono.
When I sat down with Claudio Domenicali at the Ducati 1199 Panigale R launch, the now-CEO of Ducati Motor Holding was still just the General Manager of the Italian motorcycle company. Four weeks after our interview though, Gabriele del Torchio would leave Ducati for Alitalia; and Domenicali, a 21-year veteran of both the racing and production departments of Ducati, would take his place at the top of Italy’s most prestigious motorcycle brand. After reading our interview from Austin, Texas after the jump, I think you will agree too.
That Yamaha is working on a seamless gearbox is no secret, with Yamaha’s test riders currently racking up the kilometers around tracks in Japan. Recently, however, Spanish magazine SoloMoto published an article suggesting that Yamaha has already been using its new seamless gearbox since the beginning of the season. My own enquiries to check whether Yamaha was using a seamless gearbox or not always received the same answer: no, Yamaha is not using the seamless gearbox. To test this denial, I went out to the side of the track on Friday morning at Jerez to record the bikes as they went by.
After a very public father/son break-up between Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr., a steroid-ring scandal involving Paul Sr., and finally a bankruptcy proceeding, it appears that Orange County Choppers is the impossible to kill multi-headed hydra of doom that we all knew it was, as the custom chopper shop is once again headed to the small screen and recruiting some talent, on and off the show. Looking for “someone who will work alongside Paul Senior, running the shop and helping build some of the best custom motorcycles in the world,” OCC says it will be back on television with a new show later this month. Please for the love of god, will someone give this man the attention he craves so dearly??! Or, just shoot us in the face.
We love us some concept bikes here at Asphalt & Rubber, and we have featured more than a few pieces of stunning design and imagination on our pages. Though, we can’t remember the last time one of these works of art were brought to us by a legitimate racing team, but that is what we have here with the Team Alstare Superbike Concept. A nod to the former Suzuki team’s return to the World Superbike Championship as the Ducati factory squad with Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini, Alstare has enlisted the help of designer Serge Rusak of Rusak Kreaktive Designworks to ink the shape of its futuristic Superbike concept, while Tryptik Studios handled the 3D modeling prowess.
If you didn’t watch Thursday’s pre-event press conference for MotoGP at Jerez, it is worth a viewing right to the end (assuming you have a MotoGP.com account). Building off the news about the NBA’s Jason Collins coming out as gay in a self-written feature in Sport Illustrated, my good colleague David Emmett had the courage to inquire about the culture and acceptance of the MotoGP paddock for homosexual riders. For the sake of accuracy, after the jump is a full transcript of David’s question, as put to riders Cal Crutchlow, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Stefan Bradl, and Scott Redding, as well as those riders’ responses to David’s inquiry.
News that Suzuki plans on returning to the MotoGP Championship in 2014 should be old information for dedicated Asphalt & Rubber readers, and the Japanese company’s inline-four race bike was already spotted doing test laps last year by the eager eyes at Cycle World. Well the American print-mag has another set of eyebrow-raising high-quality photos of the 2014 Suzuki GSV-R to mull over from the Motegi race track, along with some technical insights provided by the venerable Kevin Cameron.
A surprise addition to BMW Motorrad’s 2013 model line-up, zie Germans have announced a new middleweight adventure-tourer, the 2013 BMW F800GS Adventure. Like its larger predecessor, the BMW F800GS Adventure is a more travel-ready and off-road capable build of the recently updated BMW F800GS motorcycle. Featuring a larger windscreen, panniers, and a bigger fuel tank capacity (2.1 gallons larger, for a total of 6.3 gallons of fuel), the BMW F800GS Adventure keeps the same 85 hp, liquid-cooled, 798cc, parallel-twin engine found on the F800GS, as well as the same chassis configuration. Pricing in the US will be $13,550 for the base model BWM F800GS Adventure.
Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz has certainly been in the news a bit these past few months, mostly for his involvement and falling out with the Circuit of the Americas and the Americas GP, but also more recently for his comments regarding Dani Pedrosa — we also sat down with Mr. Schwantz in Austin, and the Texan gave us some sobering insight into the future of American road racing. As if all that wasn’t enough, Schwantz is making a return to two-wheeled racing, and has entered the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race with Team Kagayama racing alongside Noriyuki Haga and team owner Yukio Kagayama.
Wow, I coulda had a Benelli! Oh wait, I already do. Joking aside, nice to see the evolution of the line. I was one of those purists that hated to see old round eyes go but the new look is better in person than in photos. Yes, these are some really nice bikes and way more comfortable than the Jap offerings. Two years of triple ownership(Benelli) has spoilt me. Not that I would give up the two Guzzi and one Norton in the shed, but those trips are da bomb. They also define the company. A corporate signature that endures long after the last payment is made. Nice work Triumph.
Nope…still not doing it for me…not from the first day yet. I yet rather do the elder sister.
Oh, and that 2013 Daytona 675 that went to see the same plastic surgeon as Joan Rivers is not doing it either…(TOO POINTY on the front, BLASPHEMY ! i never thought i would see the day i would hear such words coming from a rabid hater on the CBR1000RR “my mother hitted me with a cast iron frying pan on the face before i was born” Look)…(O_O)
I guess im getting old…because the new 2013 Trophy 1200 that’s been making the headlines togheter with these other 2….now that has my attention…even tho i have no intentions of remotely buying one…TOO BROKE…higher powers now i need a LIFE…LMFAO.
I think im getting over hauling ass in a hurry and more into hauling as in comfort and get to my destination feeling rested and not like the bike rode me…LOL.
The Street Triple gets a big thumbs up as a great bike. Those fugly headlights get a big thumbs down. They should have kept them round, just modernized them a bit. Oh well, that’s what the aftermarket is for.
Can’t say that I’m a fan of the headlights. It seems as though the manufacturers can’t decide whether they want their bikes to look like insect-like monsters from a ’60s sci-fi flick or a Transformer. Either way, these are not, IMO, elegant and timeless designs. (Try an E-Type Jaguar and then fast forward to an Eagle Speedster to see of which I speak. Lines are everything, whether it be figure skating, ballet or classic automotive/motorcycle design.)
“Dame Edna”
I like the head lights too, like there aren’t enough round ones in the world…
It looks to me as if the exhaust has an aftermarket manufacturer label on it. Could it be that Triumph isn’t making the exhaust system themselves?
is that coolant on the exhaust?
@Randy:
Suposedly it’s wearing a Triumph optional ARROW slip on.
Most items on any bike are produced elsewhere and assembled at a factory. Akrapovich makes the BMW items under contract and Lafranconi was the OE supplier for many Euro bikes as well. ECU’s are not made at a motorcycle factory. The list is long.
Westward, maybe you’re not familiar with the design elements of the Speed and Street Triples of the past. There aren’t many DUAL round headlights in the production motorcycle world. It was a defining feature of the models and came directly from the “streetfighter” world that they were trying to emulate. They should have stuck with tradition a little bit more, and believe me, I’m not a traditionalist. But I do see the value in retaining the core personality. These lights are hideous from the side and without the fly screen (like on the Speed Triple) are an absolute abomination. Maybe I’m just more sensitive to it because I owned a Speed Triple. Like I said though, no big deal. You can always replace the headlights if you want to…or not.
my fav dual-light bike is Norton Commando 850 JPS and RC 30. but i kinda like this new headlight but take older one anytime.
hey there is always aftermarket option
I can empathize with those of you who hate the lights, as I tend to get nutty about asthetics too, but mostly with my beloved Ducati.
I agree these look strange without the fly screen, but with it they look just fine. I like this bike, I like pretty much everything Triumph does lately. I can’t say the same for my beloved Ducati, but perhaps I’m just too close to it there, and not enough so here.
@RGR –
You assume too much, I don’t think anyone is commenting on the dual nature of the headlights traditionally found on the Triples, but rather the shape of them…
If one wants tradition, there is always Harley. As for personality, the Triple is more than just the headlights…
Bearing in mind that I’m a certified old guy, I have to agree with @Trane; all I see in the latest bike designs is a folding kiddy toy or a Pontiac Aztec. Design is cyclical though; eventually we’ll get back to smooth, rounded edges.
My old school Speed Triple still gives me a thrill every time I go to get it out of the shed and still elicits comments from bikers and cagers alike. I agree with @Westward that a Triple is more than the headlights (the torque and ahh, the sound!) but Triumph had two design elements that had become iconic on the Speed Triple; the dual round headlights and the single-sided swingarm. To my mind, they sacrificed that iconic image with the new look; I don’t immediately recognize this bike and ultimately, because of their emphasis on heritage, that will be to Triumph’s detriment.
Then again, I also preferred the asymmetrical flyscreen. So go figure.
boy oh boy are those some ugly mirrors. and why is it starting to remind me of all the naked japanese bikes on the market…. hhmmm not sure if I like this.
@nakdgrl:
LOL, u reminded me…the Ducati 696 Bunny ears mirrors…LOL.
It does have kind of a deranged rabbit look now doesnt it? If it were my money, since they are most likely not updating the suspension and engine significantly, I would go buy a 2011 R model with the right headligts and call it a day. After I painted them black they would look just fine and no need to look like a deranged rabbit/ transformer/ Jap bike.
I love(d) the Street Triple R which I had for a testride. Nice design, great engine, perfect balance and handling. Didn’t buy it ‘cos a new bike w/o ABS is FOR ME an no-go. Anyway, now Triumph is redesigning at it’s worst. I only hope that this exhaust will never ever go into production. You do not have to have an underseat but you can do it way better than that, see latest Ducatie 1099 and for sure the MV F3/Brutale 675 (which is my favorite but also comes w/o ABS).
I can not understand why a company who was by date capeable of pleasant bike design now is throwing all of this away for whatsoever…this is a pitty!
I really don’t care for the new headlights either but hey, you can always change them. Same goes for the mirrors & exhaust, part of the fun of owning a bike is making it the way you want it. What year are the MV’s coming out? Interested to see what kind of noise the new Aprilia RS-S when it arrives!